Brake Bleeding Question

SONIC02 · Aug 30, 2009

I changed out my rear pads/rotors/calipers. About 3 tablespoons of fluid came out out of each side. Now, while I was changing out the last side my landlord came up and said "No working on cars allowed in the parking lot." (not on lease agreement btw)
My plan was to change everything out today then next weekend have a buddy come down and bleed the brakes with me. Now since that is not an option any more, what will happen if i start it up and drive a few miles to bleed out the brakes?
The Master cylinder never got low so we are only dealing with the fluid lost and the new empty calipers.

Car is 02 gt 5-speed

Calipers are stock replacements/rotors are power slots/pads are hawk.

I understand the brake pedal might go easily to the floor and I will keep an eye on the master cylinder after I first start it and press on the pedal a few times. If any air got in the line can it travel back up the system or should i be ok for a couple miles?

Thanks,

BlownFiveLiter · Aug 30, 2009

Tell the landlord F himself because he doesn't have a legal leg to stand on, to stop you from doing it, if the lease agreement doesn't specifically prohibit you from working on cars.

It is not safe to drive at all, in any way with air in the system.

Orions 04GT · Aug 30, 2009

Sonic

If you get some 5/16 rubber line and a plastic bottle you can put the rubber line over your bleeder screw and catch all the brake fluid into the bottle. If you do the right rear which is farest from the master cylinder and have your buddy work the brake pedal you can do it rather quickly and you will only have 1 wheel off at a time like your changing a flat. Your land lord will be none the wiser at what your doing. I believe its a 10mm wrench for the bleeder screw.

tragikk · Aug 30, 2009

SONIC02 said:
I changed out my rear pads/rotors/calipers. About 3 tablespoons of fluid came out out of each side. Now, while I was changing out the last side my landlord came up and said "No working on cars allowed in the parking lot." (not on lease agreement btw)
My plan was to change everything out today then next weekend have a buddy come down and bleed the brakes with me. Now since that is not an option any more, what will happen if i start it up and drive a few miles to bleed out the brakes?
The Master cylinder never got low so we are only dealing with the fluid lost and the new empty calipers.

Car is 02 gt 5-speed

Calipers are stock replacements/rotors are power slots/pads are hawk.

I understand the brake pedal might go easily to the floor and I will keep an eye on the master cylinder after I first start it and press on the pedal a few times. If any air got in the line can it travel back up the system or should i be ok for a couple miles?

Thanks,

figuratively you should still have front brakes as long as you take it easy and don't trying anything thats gonna require a emergency braking scenerio you should be fine. once you get the calipers and stuff done. bleed your brakes starting at the caliper furthest from the master cylinder and work your way to the closest one. be sure to keep your master cylinder resevoir topped off.

the hose trick works well to. 'put wrench on bleeder screw, hose over end of bleeder, other end of hose in clear bottle with brake fluid, with hose submerged in brake fluid "in bottle", then when you open the bleeder you can see the air coming out.

Kilgore Trout · Aug 31, 2009

Halloween will be here soon, remember your landlord when it gets here.

The car is not safe to drive.

BlownFiveLiter · Aug 31, 2009

tragikk said:
figuratively you should still have front brakes as long as you take it easy and don't trying anything thats gonna require a emergency braking scenerio you should be fine.

That's absolutely horrible advice that you should not be giving out. In fact, don't give it out on here at all. This isn't "takeyourlifeinyourownhandsanddothingsredneckstyle.com." Figuratively you would have brakes if you lost half of the fluid in the line, if you pumped the pedal enough times to build pressure. How many times is that before you have to do a panic stop because you didn't expect that 4 year old to go chasing after his dog that just ran out the door and is now directly in your path?

stangGT97 · Aug 31, 2009

StangGT1995 said:
That's absolutely horrible advice that you should not be giving out. In fact, don't give it out on here at all. This isn't "takeyourlifeinyourownhandsanddothingsredneckstyle.com." Figuratively you would have brakes if you lost half of the fluid in the line, if you pumped the pedal enough times to build pressure. How many times is that before you have to do a panic stop because you didn't expect that 4 year old to go chasing after his dog that just ran out the door and is now directly in your path?

Agreed - driving with air in the lines is like asking for an accident to happen.

If you didn't get air in the MC, then getting the air out of the lines at the caliper should be pretty straight forward. With the reservoir full, have your friend pump the brakes, 4 times and hold. Crack the bleeder really quick, then close again. Keep doing this until a steady stream of fluid comes out.

If your landlord has a problem, and there isn't an automotive work clause in your lease, tell him to go crap in a hat! If he is adamant, have your car towed, have a shop bleed the lines, then deduct the bill from your rent payment and explain to him why you did that.

tragikk · Aug 31, 2009

StangGT1995 said:
That's absolutely horrible advice that you should not be giving out. In fact, don't give it out on here at all. This isn't "takeyourlifeinyourownhandsanddothingsredneckstyle.com." Figuratively you would have brakes if you lost half of the fluid in the line, if you pumped the pedal enough times to build pressure. How many times is that before you have to do a panic stop because you didn't expect that 4 year old to go chasing after his dog that just ran out the door and is now directly in your path?

I wasn't trying to come off ignorant or anything. I have personally had situations where I have blown out rear calipers and also wheel cylinders on other vehicles. Under the circumstances would I leave my house knowing it was blown or leaking, no. However when it has happened away from home I have nursed it back home with minimal loss of brake power.

Since I thought he said he only had one side off before said landlord stopped him. As long as someone hadn't pressed the brake pedal while the line was disconnected or a bleeder was open. Then there would not be a huge introduction of air into the system.

Hope this clears up any misconstrued points of view I may have perpetuated.

SONIC02 · Sep 1, 2009

Thanks Guys,

I picked up the one man bleeder system from Auto Zone. It's an 8 dollar piece of junk but I'm going to give it a try. I can reach the bleeder screw without taking off the tire so i will get some tire shine and just pretend I'm cleaning the wheel.

Thanks for the heads up - I decided not to start or drive it till i bleed it.

stangGT97 · Sep 1, 2009

SONIC02 said:
Thanks Guys,

I picked up the one man bleeder system from Auto Zone. It's an 8 dollar piece of junk but I'm going to give it a try. I can reach the bleeder screw without taking off the tire so i will get some tire shine and just pretend I'm cleaning the wheel.

Thanks for the heads up - I decided not to start or drive it till i bleed it.

Good call on that. Good luck bud, let us know how it all turns out

40oz · Sep 2, 2009

StangGT1995 said:
Tell the landlord F himself because he doesn't have a legal leg to stand on, to stop you from doing it, if the lease agreement doesn't specifically prohibit you from working on cars.

It is not safe to drive at all, in any way with air in the system.

most towns have an ordinance intended to prevent driveways and parking lots from turning into auto shops and junkyards. So the landlord has a very legal leg to stand on.

More than one person has worked on their brakes then complained that the pedal was "mushy." That's because they didn't bleed the brakes properly afterwards. I'm not gonna suggest that's as safe as properly bled brakes, but it's safer than half-assing it trying not to get caught. Driving slowly to a place where one can do the job properly is better than half-assing the job trying to avoid discovery. And if a small child runs out in front of the car, there is always that handy lever brake in the center console, the one some call the "Emergency Brake." Tailor made for such situations

That said, I'd just finish the job and assure the landlord that it won't happen again. It's fine to start something not knowing it will be a problem. Now that one knows, the job ought to be finished up right, and future issues avoided.

And for what it's worth, simple maintenance usually is not classified as "auto repair," which is what most ordinances prohibit. Changing brake pads and rotors probably falls under "simple maintenance," unless you make a mess and take two days. I'd prefer not to change my oil in a parking lot if a friend's driveway is available, but that has to do with my fear of getting run over by my neighbors and dumping oil all over my landlord's lot.

Kilgore Trout · Sep 2, 2009

40oz said:
most towns have an ordinance intended to prevent driveways and parking lots from turning into auto shops and junkyards. So the landlord has a very legal leg to stand on.

More than one person has worked on their brakes then complained that the pedal was "mushy." That's because they didn't bleed the brakes properly afterwards. I'm not gonna suggest that's as safe as properly bled brakes, but it's safer than half-assing it trying not to get caught. Driving slowly to a place where one can do the job properly is better than half-assing the job trying to avoid discovery. And if a small child runs out in front of the car, there is always that handy lever brake in the center console, the one some call the "Emergency Brake." Tailor made for such situations

That said, I'd just finish the job and assure the landlord that it won't happen again. It's fine to start something not knowing it will be a problem. Now that one knows, the job ought to be finished up right, and future issues avoided.

And for what it's worth, simple maintenance usually is not classified as "auto repair," which is what most ordinances prohibit. Changing brake pads and rotors probably falls under "simple maintenance," unless you make a mess and take two days. I'd prefer not to change my oil in a parking lot if a friend's driveway is available, but that has to do with my fear of getting run over by my neighbors and dumping oil all over my landlord's lot.

Damn your post fails in so many ways I do not know where to start...

How about where you say he does not have a legal leg to stand on and then debate with yourself the definition of "simple maint" which IS a legal leg to stand on and you theorize is the language of the ordanances and leases I guess everywhere?

Or the part where you say his back brakes are not working but he can pull the emergency brake? Where do you think that e-brake cable goes? To a big anchor that deploys from the back?

Damn dude...

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